While you were all out kayaking, lazing about at home, or working a summer job, we at the J.A.Jones Library & Experiential Learning Commons were here, toiling away to make your life easier. Think of the ELC as the "One-stop for Student Success."
Here are just a few of the improvements and changes that we are very excited about:
Nancy has done an amazing job this summer making the library's resources much easier to find and use.
On the library homepage, you will see the "Search Everything" box. It searches almost everything the library offers--including the vast majority of our databases, the library catalog, and our library website. It is no easy task to get over 100 library databases and the library catalog (Melodie's contribution) all into one combined search, but you get to reap the benefits of this work. [Note: Since there are so many details involved, the contents are still a work in progress. Please email library@brevard.edu if you can't get to something you need, or with any questions about library resources or services.]
In conjunction with that project--and making it even more complicated--we have implemented single sign on for off-campus access to library resources. That means you will use the same network username/password that works on MyBC and your office computer when you want to use our databases from home.
Brandon Smith, the man we all know and love from the theatre program, is now BC's Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for Student Success. He has been working tirelessly, in collaboration with Shirley Arnold, to launch amazing programs and services to help our students--especially first year students--succeed this year. See his retention map for a great visual representation of the interconnected systems. These programs include:
*Success Mentors
*Supplemental Instruction for select courses
*Changes in tutoring services and Writing Lab
*Scheduling system (10to8) for success mentors, tutors, library FYE sessions. The system facilitates conversation about appointments and sends reminders of upcoming appointments by text/email. The ELC & Library page has a tutorial on using the service and the Tutors link takes you to the booking module.
Kathy Koontz started August 1 as the new Director of Student Accessibility. Kathy will be the point person for students who need accommodations for classes, meals, or housing for either permanent or temporary disabilities. Information about these services is available on the Accessibility and Disability Services page.
Adam Mills is working in an adjunct position dedicated to Writing Lab services. He has experience with writing centers in other places and will be a great asset to the ELC.
James Brooks is now working on the library staff as Educational Technology Specialist. He is here to help you integrate technology tools into your classes, to help with creating resources in Sakai, and is working with faculty who will be teaching online next summer and beyond. As you may know, James comes to us with a background in Education and Technology. He has taught in a variety of settings, including elementary and college classrooms. He will be teaching courses at BC in the future.
Candice Greedy is our new Library Night Manager. She works 6-11pm Monday through Thursday during the semester. We are lucky to have this experienced librarian working with us.
Along with all these changes came some website updates. You'll notice that the link for the Learning Commons page on MyBrevard is now is named "ELC & Library" to emphasize our joint identity in supporting student success. The "For Faculty" tab (at the left of the library.brevard.edu page) has a new structure, including a page describing collaboration opportunities for faculty with the library and our Information Fluency Framework. With the Brevard College Pedagogies Committee (BCP), we have also created a Teaching Resources LibGuide with links to a variety of teaching support materials. That page will continue to be fleshed out over time. If you have specific items you would like to see added, please email marie.jones@brevard.edu.
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